The global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has been recognised with an unprecedented haul of five LatinFinance Project and Infrastructure Finance Awards for 2026. The accolades spotlight a slate of high-profile financings that span lithium extraction in Argentina, rare-earth mining in Brazil, a biofuels complex in Bahia, and sovereign green-bond programmes in Ecuador and Bogotá. Across three continents, the firm’s lawyers from São Paulo, London and Washington, DC coordinated the structures, negotiated the terms and steered the documentation that underpinned each multi-billion-dollar package.
The awards not only celebrate the sheer scale of the transactions—some exceeding US$1 billion—but also underline the firm’s ability to blend commercial ambition with emerging sustainability standards. Each deal has been highlighted for its innovative financing approach, alignment with the Social Loan Principles or Green Loan Principles and its contribution to the strategic development of critical minerals and clean-energy infrastructure in the region.
LatinFinance 2026 award-winning transactions
Loan of the Year – Rincón lithium brine project, Argentina
Led by Jeremy Hushon (Washington, DC) and Daniel Metcalfe (London), the firm represented a syndicate of international lenders in a US$1.175 billion loan that funds Rio Tinto’s Rincón lithium brine operation in Salta Province. The project, projected to require US$2.5 billion of total investment, will generate roughly 60,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium carbonate each year once fully online, positioning Argentina as a pivotal player in the global electric-vehicle supply chain.
Mining Deal of the Year – Serra Verde rare-earth mine financing, Brazil
Martin McCann (London) headed the team that acted as English and Canadian counsel on a US$565 million financing from the US International Development Finance Corporation. The structure refinanced existing obligations on more favourable terms and enabled the expansion of production capacity to 6,500 tonnes of total rare-earth oxides by the end of 2027, a critical input for next-generation electronics and clean-energy technologies.
Infrastructure Deal of the Year, Brazil – Acelen Industrial biofuels complex
Daniel Spencer (São Paulo) guided Acelen Industrial S.A. through the development phase of a US$1.5 billion financing package that will power a new biofuels hub in Bahia. The complex will produce renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel, with key procurement and guarantee agreements secured with UOP LLC. The deal combined development-bank support, commercial lenders and local debenture issuance, illustrating a multi-layered financing model for low-carbon infrastructure.
Social Infrastructure Deal of the Year – Ecuador sovereign green financing
Kenneth Hansen (Washington, DC) represented the Inter-American Development Bank in a US$250 million partial credit guarantee that backs a US$500 million syndicated term loan to the Republic of Ecuador. The facility finances affordable-housing projects that meet both social and environmental criteria, with lenders such as Goldman Sachs and Banco Santander adhering to the Social and Green Loan Principles.
Sustainable Infrastructure Deal of the Year – Bogotá green bond
Also led by Kenneth Hansen, the firm acted for the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) as anchor investor in a COP-denominated US$600 million green bond issued by the City of Bogotá. This historic issuance marked the first green bond by a Latin American municipality and the largest city-level green bond in the Americas, earmarking the proceeds for clean-transport projects including Metro Line 2 and electric cable-car lines.
Other landmark financings advised by Norton Rose Fulbright
Serra da Palmeira wind farm, Brazil
In a separate transaction, the firm’s São Paulo team, led by Caspar Davey with Cameron Royse and Arthur dos Santos, counselled the New Development Bank (NDB) on a RMB950 million loan to China Three Gorges Brasil Energia (CTG Brasil). The financing will underwrite the construction and operation of a 648-MW wind farm in Paraíba, diversifying Brazil’s power mix and reinforcing NDB member-country cooperation. Turbines for the project are sourced from China, highlighting cross-border supply-chain integration.
Stanmore Resources US$450 million debt refinancing
Metropolitan-area coal producer Stanmore Resources turned to the firm for advice on a US$450 million (AU$646 million) refinancing of its bank facilities. The restructuring, announced in early October 2026, provided the company with extended maturities and a more flexible covenant package, helping it navigate volatile commodity markets while maintaining production of metallurgical coal for steelmaking.
Across all these engagements, Norton Rose Fulbright’s projects practice remains one of the world’s largest, with more than 350 lawyers in 50 offices handling deals worth over US$90 billion in aggregate in 2025 (IJGlobal). The firm’s ability to combine deep sector expertise, cross-jurisdictional coordination and a commitment to sustainability has cemented its status as a top-ranked global advisor in the fast-evolving landscape of project finance.
